Officials continue to probe Suburban
By Jeff Gallatin
North Olmsted
Published Oct. 25, 2006

Officials continue to place Suburban Collision under close scrutiny in an effort to determine what is causing the troublesome smell which has plagued the neighborhood near the Brookpark Extension business for months.

Agents for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency conducted their inspection of the business last week. EPA officials have also promised the city administration that the city will be notified when there is an additional public comment period on a final per- mit for the business. City Council also passed a resolution asking that the city be notified.

In addition, workers from Auburn Environmental, the firm hired by the city of North Olmsted are tentatively scheduled to begin their tests this week to try and determine what is causing the smell and to provide information which might help alleviate it.

North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady said the problem is being approached on multiple fronts.

“We’re gratified that the EPA officials will be notifying us of the public comment period,” O’Grady said. “It’s important for us as a city as well as the residents of the area to be able to make appropriate reports as to what has gone on there since the business opened at that location last year. Both this administration and council have shown they’re committed to getting this problem solved.”

O’Grady said the visit by EPA agents from the Cleveland Division of Water was a separate matter and that the city had not received any report from the EPA yet, but said having several parties involved in the work should help.

“People are approaching the problem in several different areas,” he said.

Suburban’s attorney, Daniel Kolick, said the business itself remains committed to working with the various governmental agencies and the area residents to getting the problem solved.

“It’s important to all of us,” Kolick said. “We want the issue resolved as well and will continue to work with others on this.”

Kolick said officials at the business have not received any word yet from the EPA about the results of the visit.

“We know they were there but we haven’t been notified of anything at this point,” he said.

Kolick said the business is preparing to have its own tests run as part of the process for receiving its final permit as specified in the legislation narrowly approved by North Olmsted City Council last year.

Ron Tallon, chairman of City Council’s Finance Committee, said the results of the various tests, as well as getting notice on the public hearings for the permits, is important.

“That smell is affecting a large group of residents in that area as well as other businesses and people shopping or driving through the area,” Tallon said. “We need to be able to find an answer to this for those people.”

O’Grady said Auburn Environmental, which has offices in Cleveland and Auburn, Calif., is scheduled to start running its tests this week. He said tests will be done in multiple locations and at various times over several days.

“They’re trying to get a true test of what is going on there,” O’Grady said. “They want to obtain information which should help determine what the smell is and what it is composed of as well as giving us information to help deal with it.”

O’Grady said the city expects to have a report from Auburn workers by the end of October or the early part of November.

“We realize that the time frame is getting smaller and we will continue to work on ways of dealing with this,” he said.